30 June, 2010

. . . that iPods, iPads, i-you-name-its are beginning to take over the iWorld. You see it everywhere: iBlog, iMap, and iPeople are always reusing it for other iThings. iPersonally think that iThings can be used without overusing the iLogo, but it is getting on my nerves, just an iLittle. iMean, how much longer can this iThing go on? Doesn't this excessive use just get iAnnoying? Apple should have iCopyrighted it, so that iPeople don't go around throwing it into every iThing.

*****

I also think that the weather is BEAUTIFUL today. It feels like fall (my favorite season out of them all), with the almost chilly wind, the bright (and I do mean BRIGHT) blue skies, the puffy little white clouds . . . heaven, I tell you! Except the leaves aren't turning gold and orange yet. I'd be worried if they were, though. :P And it's cool, too! Both literally temperature-wise, and slang-wise. I can even run without overheating. :)

1. Anyone can participate. :) As long as you can come up with three things that have benefited you in your blogging journey, you are welcome to join in! Please don't feel intimidated by the long-time bloggers or bloggers who have several hundred followers or whatever else may intimidate you. It doesn't matter how long you have been blogging or how many followers you have - you have tips to share! And besides, who knows how many bloggers might benefit from what you've learned?

2. Make sure that your tips are not just preferences. For example, a good tip would be: "Don't have the background of your posts be a similar or conflicting color with the color of your words." A preference would be more like "A three-column blog looks nicer than a two-column blog."

3. If your tips are specific for a certain kind of blog, that is great as well! Just please make sure to state that next to the tip. (i.e. Tip #1 [for photography blog] )

4. Please only post three tips! I know it's hard to narrow things down, but I did pick the number three for a reason (and no - the reason wasn't just for alliteration). This way you have to think carefully and only post your very best tips. Some ideas for you are to pick the three things that were the most helpful to you when starting, or maybe the three things you learned that radically changed the way you blog or the amount of followers you received.

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 178 (it is called short, after all)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Cover Rating: 5 out of 5. I'm a sucker for Twilight Saga covers. This book is probably one of my favorite covers, too. The hourglass is excellent, the reflected light is thin and perfect, and the red sand and the lettering is gorgeous. I'll stop piling you with gunk now. :P

Inside flap:

Bree Tanner can barely remember like before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes, and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentles thirst for blood . . . life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, and above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as her. As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a great game larger than anything they could have imagines, Bree and Dieso must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

The good: Most of us know what happens; Bree Tanner dies in Eclipse; torn apart by the Volturi for attacking Seattle and for existing. This book is short, so it wasn't long enough for something really bad plot-wise to happen. It was fairly so-so; violent at times, and the premise was completely Twilight-ish. The romance was toned down to a few kisses, and Diego didn't seem as sex-oriented as Edward, which I appreciated. He seemed pretty decent, and Bree herself, while a little uncertain at times, came across as being fairly smart and reasonable once the bloodlust was pushed aside.

The bad: Mmmm, other than knowing what happens in the end, I still say so-so.

Do I recommend this book? Depends. If you're a Twilight Saga fan, then go ahead! If not, or even if you like the Twilight Saga but aren't crazy about it, then not really. For those of you who haven't read the Twilight Saga, this might be a good beginning instead of hopping right into Twilight.

Guinevere is having a Followerfest! Basically, it means that you head over there, follow, and mention that I'm the one who directed you over there. She wants 70 followers (70! Wow, Guin! But I know you can get it :D) and once she gets that many, a prize shall be doled out to the one who gathers the most for her. You can even join in on the contest if you follow, I think. :)

29 June, 2010

Watch the video. (If it doesn't load, click the link that says "full episode" and then go to "Chapter 4 of 4: Theremin".) Or if you don't have time, I'll give you gist of it. Leon Theremin, a Russian inventor, invented the Theremin, and is widely credited for the beginning of electronic music. However, while he befriended RCA and other companies who wanted to buy the rights to his inventions, he also spied on company practices for the Russians. He reported what he saw back to his home country, and later, invented "The Thing", an espionage device that needed no battery, and could transmit everything the Americans said through the passive device.

28 June, 2010

Title: Devilish
Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 263
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Cover Rating: 5 out of 5. I love this cover! It's so clean and sort of fresh looking, and the cupcake is cute. I'm not sure who the person on the front is, exactly, but the eyes are great and the smile is very devilish. :)

Inside flap:

Jane Jarvis and Allison Concord are desperate to get through senior year at Saint Teresa's Prepatory School for Girls, where barbed wire keeps the boys out and ancient nuns keep the girls in.

Jane and Allison have always been too quirky and different to be popular, but at least they've had ech other. Then, after a hideous, embarrassing disaster, Allison comes to school transformed. Suddenly she has cute hair and clothes. She's fluent in Latin, she won't even speak to Jane, and within days she's stolen Jane's ex-boyfriend Elton.

As strangely wise freshman boy, Owen, helps Jane discover the outrageous truth--that Allison has sold her sould to the devil At first Jane doesn't quite buy it. She plays along with the weirdness--even gambles her own sould in order to rescue Allison's. But events take a turn for the real, and Jane will have to save Allison before the bizarrely exclusive Poodle Prom, and party of biblical proportions that just might blow apart the world as Jane knows it.

The good: I'm not normally a fan of Maureen Johnson. But Devilish is awesome! Really, it is. The plot is good, the characters are interesting, the narrative is funny. Jane herself had spunk, attitude, genius, and is a strong heroine. Her feelings for Allison are strong, and she can hold her own, even when it comes to Elton. (Most of the time.)

I find Owen a break from the stereotype of a rogue, bad boy, and instead, while he's not a real goody-goody, he's sensible. Reasonable. Smart. Nice. Handsome, even. :P Owen isn't the typical hero, and I thank the author for that!

Allison is a bit weak, but that's the point. She fits into the plot well, and Lanalee is perfect, I tell you, for the part she plays.

The bad: Don't read the prologue!! It's probably the only thing that spoiled it for me. The prologue is too revealing, and I don't really like beginnings that represent something that happens toward the end of the story.

27 June, 2010

I watched The Fellowship of the Ring last night, and it was amazing! I'd never seen it before (yes, yes, where've I been, you say), and I'd have to say the creepiest were the Uruk-Hai, (especially their leader) but Saruman was pretty sinister . . . anyways, if you haven't seen this before (like me, just two days ago), you should at least check it out!

They changed several things, like cutting out Tom Bombadil (which I kinda wanted to see) but the hobbits . . . they just cracked me up, even when it wasn't completely supposed to be funny. Especially Pippin and Merry; they're hilarious. Gandalf was good, Aragorn was a bit scruffier than I orginally pictured him, Boromir was very accurate, and Frodo was great. I recognized his voice at first, but I didn't make the connection with Happy Feet until I looked the guy up. Legloas . . . sorry, Mr. Elf, but you do kinda share traits with Barbie. Y'know, the braided blond hair and all. Gimli was as brusque as in the book.

I did like the way they made Arwen a more central character. In the book she's more of Elrond's daughter and that's about it; but in the movie, she's right there getting chased by the Nazgul and finding Aragorn in the woods. The sword at his throat? Awesome, girl.

I've seen this image around the blogsphere, so I decided to check it out. Apparently, if I follow the instructions (click the leaf to go to the site) they'll plant a tree that takes in 11lb of carbon dioxide, whereas my blog produces 8lb of carbon dioxide. I hope it's still running, but there's nothing that says it isn't . . .

26 June, 2010

America is polarizing dramatically nowadays. It seems like it's the Ultra-Conservatives vs. the Uber-Liberals, and no one seems willing to be a middleman. There are very, very few independents (although if Crist wins in Florida there will be one more) and it's friction, friction, friction in Washington.

Has anyone every noticed that whenever there's a crisis, the party that was in power is kicked out, the other parts gets in, and then when everything gets worse before it gets better, people migrate to the original people that caused the mess? Like right now. The Republican President George W. Bush (we all know who he is, right? -_-) came into power, caused the financial crisis, the Democratic President Obama stepped in, people heralded his position as President and called for reform of healthcare, the financial institutions, an end to the war in the Middle East. And now that healthcare was passed, economic reform seems to be on its way to the President's desk, and Afghanistan is getting sorted out, everyone seems to be saying "I HATE THE PRESIDENT."

Please, would it kill everyone to have some continuity? The Republican-Democrat-and then I am assuming back to Republican system is getting on my nerves . . . we need to stick it out with someone for once! Just because America is frustrated and angry because their lifestyles (which were actualy getting too expansive and had too much debt) were reduced, doesn't mean "IT'S THE PRESIDENT'S FAULT." He wasn't the one who garnered up so much freakin' national debt, and if he's adding to it, it's because we're in a financial recession-almost-depression! Would people rather that we'd fallen into an even deeper crisis because we couldn't spend anything to save ourselves? I don't think so . . .

As much as people like to think they do, financial systems don't regulate themselves; unless you'd like to live with the cracs-bubble-crash-bubble mode of life that we had before. Too much government is a bad thing, but too little government is not. It only makes things worse, and I'm not an anarchist.

Another thing: Obama didn't cause the oil spill; like one congressman said "Calling it the Obama spill is imflammatory and wrong" and I agree. Regulators had been there for years, and please, there's only so much he can do all at once. And BP's vessel was a) struck by lighting b) robotic accidents happen and c) we just don't have the right technology to fix to spill. True, I do think that Obama could do some things with more speed and efficiency, but at least Feinberg is now down there and coordinating the reimbursement offices and financial whatnot. He'll manage to get things more organized.

25 June, 2010

No, I'm serious. Well, I'm homsechooled, so actually, it's the school district's, but hey, I live in the district.

Okay, back on subject. There really is a tank. Y'know, one of those camouflaged, mounted cannon, I'm-going-to-storm-the-enemy things. Only it looks like it's going to cross a busy road, not charge Stalingrad. It's been there ever since we moved here and who knows how long before that . . . kinda unusual that they'd let a tank onto school grounds, since it's where 1-6 graders go, but it's pretty cool. :)

I got this award from Dani's Letters, so thank you Oddyoddyo13! Now, the criteria is that if you take the award (it's called the Blog Love Award so it's going to everyone who wants it and I love you all) and you make up your own award image and distribute it to your own followers. Here's my award:

In a Rolling Stone article General Stanley McChrystal comes across as someone who should absolutely NOT be the head of all operation in Afghanistan. Reasons:

1. His aides say some pretty nasty things about "some French minister".

2. He says that Joe Biden's plans against counterterrorism strategy were "shortsighted" and they'd end up with "Chaos-istan." He also says quote from the article:

Are you asking about Vice President Biden?" McChrystal says with a laugh. "Who's that?"

"Biden?" suggests a top adviser. "Did you say: Bite Me?"

3. One of McChrystal's advisors said after he and the President had been together:
"It was a 10-minute photo op. Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was. Here's the guy who's going to run his f***ing war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed."

4. According to the article quote:
"In private, Team McChrystal likes to talk sh*t about many of Obama's top people on the diplomatic side. One aide calls Jim Jones, a retired four-star general and veteran of the Cold War, a "clown" who remains "stuck in 1985." Politicians like McCain and Kerry, says another aide, "turn up, have a meeting with Karzai, criticize him at the airport press conference, then get back for the Sunday talk shows. Frankly, it's not very helpful.""

5. According to the article one his aides said that:
"The Boss says he's like a wounded animal. Holbrooke keeps hearing rumors that he's going to get fired, so that makes him dangerous. He's a brilliant guy, but he just comes in, pulls on a lever, whatever he can grasp onto. But this is COIN [counterinsurgency], and you can't just have someone yanking on sh*t.

6. Another thing the article says quote:
At one point on his trip to Paris, McChrystal checks his BlackBerry. "Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke," he groans. "I don't even want to open it." He clicks on the message and reads the salutation out loud, then stuffs the BlackBerry back in his pocket, not bothering to conceal his annoyance.

"Make sure you don't get any of that on your leg," an aide jokes, referring to the e-mail.

7. Yet another quote (Eikenberry wasn't very nice, though, so both are at fault):
"I like Karl, I've known him for years, but they'd never said anything like that to us before," says McChrystal, who adds that he felt "betrayed" by the leak. "Here's one that covers his flank for the history books. Now if we fail, they can say, 'I told you so.' "

8. So he has a bad history too:
"The son of a general, McChrystal was also a ringleader of the campus dissidents – a dual role that taught him how to thrive in a rigid, top-down environment while thumbing his nose at authority every chance he got. He accumulated more than 100 hours of demerits for drinking, partying and insubordination – a record that his classmates boasted made him a "century man." One classmate, who asked not to be named, recalls finding McChrystal passed out in the shower after downing a case of beer he had hidden under the sink. The troublemaking almost got him kicked out, and he spent hours subjected to forced marches in the Area, a paved courtyard where unruly cadets were disciplined."
9. And cruel:
"In 2006, McChrystal was tainted by a scandal involving detainee abuse and torture at Camp Nama in Iraq. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, prisoners at the camp were subjected to a now-familiar litany of abuse: stress positions, being dragged naked through the mud. McChrystal was not disciplined in the scandal, even though an interrogator at the camp reported seeing him inspect the prison multiple times. But the experience was so unsettling to McChrystal that he tried to prevent detainee operations from being placed under his command in Afghanistan, viewing them as a "political swamp," according to a U.S. official. In May 2009, as McChrystal prepared for his confirmation hearings, his staff prepared him for hard questions about Camp Nama and the Tillman cover-up. But the scandals barely made a ripple in Congress, and McChrystal was soon on his way back to Kabul to run the war in Afghanistan."
GRRRR. This guy is the commando of all US and NATO forces in Afghanistan?!? Okay, I can handle this if he's doing a good job over there, but right now, I am MAJORLY pissed. Or General-ly, if you'd prefer.

21 June, 2010

Okay, I don't like summer. The heat gets on my nerves, the sun isn't good for my skin, people stay up late, the neighbors are bonfire fanatics, I hate air conditioning, we have cats so a flea outbreak (and I do mean outbreak) is always a looming possibility, I don't know how to swim, I don't like running when it's hot out, I don't really like sweating, I like school, and that's my list. :P

But the good things are: I can write, read, and do whatever without as much schoolwork . . . Umm, gee, I think I prefer fall, since I can't come up with anything else. Well, for the rest of you, have a good summer!

I have moved a whole bunch of other people's buttons to a separate page on my blog, which is labeled "Other Blogs" so the main page will load faster and you people can get around to seeing my posts without the little (78 items remaining) gig on the lower left corner of the screen. And if it doesn't make things smoother I'll murder Blogger. :P

If you've got a button and want to see it displayed on the page, please give me the code or the link to your blog! (BTW, I can also make these things if you're in need.)

Okay now. Bleah Briann is having a blog parade (as you can see from the title :P) and she's trying to get 100 people to do it. Eesh. So, dear followers, how about pasting these questions to your own post and answering them yourself?

The rules are that you must give my your link to your post (and you must post with the image), you tell your own followers to link up to you, me, and Bleah (you MUST tell me if you do it!), I will then link back to Bleah and state just how many of my followers have participated in the parade, and then you also have to go to her blog and link up. Got it? Comment if you've got questions . . .

So here we go:

Justin Beiber or Adam Young?

Never listened to either. But please, Bieber? He looks like he's twelve.

The Prince Of Peace or Lord of Lords (trick question)? *haha*

Huh? Princes are good, but Lords can also be good . . .

Peaches or Apricots?

Peaches. But my mom LOVES apricots, and I have to say, they're tasty. :)

20 June, 2010

Normally I can think of something, but I'm feeling a little blank right now.

So today is Father's Day, and I am seeing a lot of posts about it on my Dahsboard. :) Me, I personally don't have anyone to honor today, seeing as I live with my mom and that's it . . . I was adopted and have absolutely no idea who my bios were. *shrugs* I really haven't known anything else besides my mom, so it doesn't matter to me.

*****

A writing update:

June 18th: 0

June 19th: 1414

June 20th: 468

Notice the big fat "0"? That's because my mom and I went elsewhere that day . . . but on the plus side I have reached over 30000 words! 30302, according to Word. I am ten days ahead of the deadline! :)

*****

Tis hot today. Thunderstorms last night. Roasted yesterday, and I pity the people who are running a car show down the road. :P

Decided to reread LOTR. Why? Because I forgot most of the plot, LOL. My mom and I read it together when I was 8 or so, and most of it's slipped my memory, although I do recall some scenes. It's not disappointing so far. :)

19 June, 2010

Thank you, everyone, for following The Eagle's Aerial Perspective! I love reading and answering your comments, looking at all the visitors from the different countries, and communicating with you guys through the Cbox! You keep these posts coming, and I am grateful you consider this blog to be worthwhile. :) Here is a list of my followers and the links to their names in the order they are on my Dashboard:

18 June, 2010

Whoever has read Witch & Wizard, raise your hand. Well, I have, and since Maximum Ride is going downhill, I think I might say that W&W is probably creeping to the front of my "Favorite Books by Patterson" list of titles. It's not the best-ever series, but it breaks my serious lack-of-reading-material streak, which I am currently going through.

Read it! Go on! Proceed! March forth! [Insert cliche of choice]!

*****

You know how some things just stick in your head and irritate you to death? Like music, for example. Two days ago, PBS aired this commercial/promo thing, and now I can't get the music out of my poor head! I looked up the lyrics that I could remember and got something by Coldplay, but the tune didn't match up at all and I can't find the right PBS ad online.

There was a phrase that went:

"Oh, my feet won't touch the ground"
[Singing]

But the song "Now my feet won't touch the ground" doesn't fit. Grrr. I will not rest until this thing goes away, and not of my own volition.

17 June, 2010

Say the letters out loud; no, I don't mean like 1st graders dgoing "A is for aaaahh" I mean as in "Two y's."

Get it yet? No? Yes? WTH?

Okay, okay, it's "Too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you are too wise for me."

Sorry, but I just couldn't help myself. :) I'm feeling like posting random stuff.

Back to business. Whatever that means. It was cloudy today, but cool. Like in the upper 50s, which was a nice break from the summer heat. Did I mention that I don't like heat? Yes? Well, even so, I cannot elaborate enough on that fact . . . :P Tomorrow, however, is supposed to be in the upper 80s, which totally sucks because we have to ride in a bus tomorrow, and do you know how much the gas smell is amplified with heat?

*****

More random stuff:

In case you ever manage to come across a situation where you need to steer a helicopter, here's the deal: in one hand, you hold the cyclic pitch. In the other you have the collective pitch stick. The collective pitch stick move the helicopter's rotors so that you can move up and down. The cyclic pitch tilts the rotors so that you can turn the chopper to one side or another and lean into turns. Your feet are on the pedals that control the tail rotor, which makes the copter turn in circle. If you'd like to show off, try pirouetting in place and landing that way.

*****

Some political information:

Anyways, can you believe BP called Americans SMALL PEOPLE? He may be Swedish, but really, surely he could figure out that calling people "small" in the USA might be a little . . . offensive? *sigh* At least he apologized, and at least it wasn't the Prime Minister of Britain or something. :P

16 June, 2010

Not by me, but by my fellow flying blogger Icewolf. The goal here is to get as much participation as possible, so go head over and enter your photos! Awards will be given the best photos. :) Be sure to comment with a link to your post!

DYK that the containment vessel--y'know, the ship they're siphoning oil up into--was struck by lighting the day before yesterday and was set on fire? Now, while I am not in favor of BP AT ALL, there is only so much they can do. People are demanding that they stop the well from leaking any more, but technology just isn't there yet.

I wish Obama had elaborated more during his speech last night. It wasn't a bad speech at all, but I don't think that Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speeches are the right comparison exactly. I would have liked to hear something along the lines of "Okay now, we're going to put up more booms here, put up sand barriers there, I am going to demand that BP clean up its act . . ." and so forth. He compared it to building tanks during WWII, but really, tanks are not climate legislation. Urgency is needed, but I think it's a strange analogy.

15 June, 2010

I knew that the maniac writing at the beginning of the month would circle back around and bite me in the you-know-what. It's the exact middle of the month, too. I can't seem to find inspiration anymore! I've got the plot outline written down, even though that's one of my last resorts, but it's not helping me! I just look at and think, Oh, great, I've got that many more words to freakin' type? Sure, I'm enthusiastic enough about getting Part 2 done and all that, but the characters aren't communicating with their author anymore. Maybe they're mad I put them in such horrible situations. :P

14 June, 2010

I read Finnikin of the Rock recently, and it drove me up the wall. I think I slammed the book against the chair a few times, too, although I didn't chuck across the room even though I REALLY (and I do mean REALLY) wanted to. Library property, after all. I almost disliked it as much as The Wings of a Falcon, which is probably one of my least favorite books.

Okay, let me elaborate. I'll give you a list.

A) Finnikin is a jerk! I hate protagonists who are 1. Self-centered (which he is.) He's so nasty when Evanjalin doesn't talk (although she's more enjoyable when her mouth is firmly shut.) 2. Backbone-less. (which he is in several cases) He can't stand up for anything! He's cowardly in some situations, and whines. 3. Arrogant. (which he is.) 4. Inconsiderate. (which he is.) Of everyone.

B) Evanjalin is much too self-righteous. 1. The saying "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission" works in some cases, but she doesn't even ask forgiveness. It's just "I'm the queen! Make way! I know the right way to do everything and if you don't agree, I'll poison you!" Literally. She murdered those people in the castle without any forethought, and it is possible that not EVERYONE was involved with the bad treatment of the citizens. The authors does not illuminate that possibility; it's just left in the dark like "The queen is always right!" 2. She complains that "We need strength, not courage" or some such thing. Finnikin (I'm not defending him exactly; just being objective) tries to save these people and she's complaining. She doesn't seem to care about anything except her own people! Sure, queens have their duties, but she's ruthless. Arrogant, like Finnikin. 3. She LIED TO EVERY FREAKING LUMATERAN. Yes, a kind of agree with her decision, but she could have done it differently. Really, she could have simply broken it to them that "Yes, Balthazar is dead, get over it. Move on. Let's rally Finnikin and make him king," or something a little less deceptive.

And there is a general lack of morality. Finnkin is a complete idiot with women, Evanjalin is a terrible, incompassionate queen, Finnikin's dad is strange, the dad's men are stranger, and the list goes on. Women are treated like dirt in this book. Or at least very badly. Raped by the soldiers stuck in Lumatere, beaten, cast off . . . it goes on. There are also prostitutes, etc., and they don't have any sense! I'm only going to defend the people with some backbone, so I have to say that the females in this book are useless. They accept the status quo without a protest except for the murdering queen. C'mon, girls, let's MOVE. Let's rally the troops and demand an ERA!

So no, I didn't like this book AT ALL except for the quality of the writing. Melina Marchetta is a good writer, but I hated the plot and characters. which are almost at least as important as quality. But I do like the cover. :P Yes, out of all the aspects of this book, perhaps it is the cover that I enjoy the most. It looks promising, and it's too bad it's for such miserable characters.

13 June, 2010

Thank you, Cori @ Cori's Blog for awarding me the One Lovely Blog Award! I award anyone who is in the mood to click the image and post about it. And I assume there are those out there who feel like doing that . . . :)

The good: I thought this movie was surprisingly good. I thought the person who played Doon Harrow might be a little too old for the part at first (he's something like 25 right now) but I don't think it was actually that bad once I got used to it. The girl who played Lina Mayfleet was good, and I think she accurately depicted Lina as I thought of her in the book.

There was a lot of action, especially in the generator, (which, by the way, does NOT happen in the book that I can remember; but me remembering detailed plots is something you really shouldn't stake your money on :P) which I liked, since for a movie, it fit the atmosphere.

The bad: Hmmm. Not much, really, except for the representation of the star-nosed mole. They're cute when they're not out to eat you! And besides, they don't eat people. They're tiny!

Do I recommend watching his movie? Sure. I think it's good, but I do suggest reading the books first, since some things they sort of gloss over.

I made a button! Finally! No more annoying "my banner maker" stuff and I can edit what I want to edit without having to go through a bajillion ads and whatnot. Do any of you people need a button/link image for your blog?

WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE.Do not put this book down. I'm dead serious--your life could depend on it. I'm risking everything by telling you--but you need to know.

Strap yourself in for the thrill ride you'll want to take again and again! From Death Valley, California, to the bowels of the New York City subway system, you're about to take off on a heart-stopping adventure that will blow you away . . .

Your faithful companions: Mas, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel. Six kids who are pretty normal in most ways--except that they're 98 percent human, 2 percent bird. They grew up in a lab, living like rats in cages, but now they're free. Aside, of course, from the fact they're prime prey for Erasers--wicked, wolflike creatures with a taste for flying humans.

The missions: Rescue Angel from malicious mutants. Infiltrate a secret facility to track down the flock's missing parents. Scavenge for sustenance. Get revenge on an evil traitor. And save the world. If there's time.

Thriller-writing sensation James Patterson, auther of the #1 New York Times bestseller When the Wind Blows, invites you on a quest full of nonstop action, adrenaline, mystery, and suspense. Want to come along for the ride?

The good: Okay, okay, I LOVE this book. Really, it's one of my favorites. Max is a strong female protagonist, she's savvy, she's sarcastic, (I love sarcasm in books) and she knows how to fight. Some people say that the fight scenes are repetitive, but I don't really think so. The antagonists are smart, genetically-enhanced, and strong, so it keeps up the suspense throughout. And these kids fly, in case you didn't get that before, which ads a whole new dynamic to the usual ran-away-from-home idea.

The rest of the Flock is interesting as well. Their talents crop up throughout the series, and I have to say, besides Max, Iggy and Angel are probably some of my favorite characters beyond Maximum Ride.

The bad: Ummm, nothing? A reference here and there, but nothing really bad.

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely! :D

And the second review:

Title: Bittersweet
Author: Drew Lamm
Genre: what do you call this? Realism?
Page Count: 214
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Cover Rating: 5 out of 5. The first time I saw it I really liked the side of it, although I didn't take it out of the library immediately, which was a mistake. The front is amazing! :)

Inside flap:

Taylor Rose has always felt most alive with a sketchbook or a paintbrush in her hand. Brought up in her grandmother's steady embrace, she had flourished as an artist. But after Grams is struck by an illness, Taylor's secure and vibrant world dissolves into chaos and uncertainty.
Suddenly, Taylor is unable to tap into her creative spirirt or cope with the challenge of living life in the face of such tremendous loss. Adding to her sense of confusion are her changing emotions toward Mike, whom she has always despised but now feels drawn to, and Bears, the boy next door who used to be her best friend. With her world turned upside down and without Grams's steadying hand, Taylor fears she'll never be able to bring brush to canvas again. She will have to struggle to stay true to her heart, her art, and who she is.
Drew Lamm takes a poignant, edgy look at the life of a girl working through her grief and learning to reconnect with other--and herself--in unexpected ways.

The good: I loved this book! The style was excellent, Taylor was a relatively strong protagonist, and the other characters were interesting. It was sad all the way through, but happy in places and had an uplifting end. The other characters had their own little stories along with hers, and Grams, although she never speaks in the time frame of the book except in fragments from the past, is a person I wish I could have heard more of. I probably would have been amused. :)

The bad: Nothing that really sticks out, except for the boy-next-door theme which I think is a little overused at this point. It was well-written, however, which mitigates somewhat the familiarity of the plot. I'm not going to tell you how it ends; you've got to read it yourself.

I've been awarded The Versatile Blogger Award by John @ Dreaming in Books! Thank you!

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award (check)
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (in no particular order…)
4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.

OK, then.

Seven things about myself are:

1. I don't like candy/chocolate/really sweet stuff. Makes me sick. I don't believe I'm allergic or anything, I just don't like it.

2. Did I ever tell you that I own a chunk of vivanite? I'm not sure if that's actually what it is, but it's green, the crystals are long, and covered in dust. Pieces start to fragment off of it when I try to remove the dust, so I leave it alone. I don't want to damage it.

3. I've been working on my current story for about 9 months, and I've written over 100,000 words in that time. It's still not finished yet.

4. I love science! Give me a subject from volcanology to entomology to herpetology and I'm there!

5. I love blogging! But you knew that, right? :P

6. I live with five cats. Whether it's good/bad it depends . . . they're catbox smells pretty bad at times. Plus they leave hair all over the place since they're longhairs, but they're cute. Soft. "Pet me!"-ish Except where they have claws and teeth.

7. I have 27 books out of the library at current. Most I've read, but I've still got a few to go and I shall be reviewing some later today!

11 June, 2010

Here's an update for my writing! I'm running into problems now, unfortunately, so my pace has been slowing down. I feel sort of . . . detatched from what I'm writing, but hopefully that will be remedied soon. :)

10 June, 2010

Thank you, Shimmer the Cat! It's been a while since I last read Warriors. I hope I can remember enough to answers these accurately:

Welcome! You are a kit. What is your name and who are your parents/siblings?
My fabulous name (haha jk) is Icepaw. I think's that's right, since I'm a kit . . . or maybe it's something else . . . darn, I hate it when I can't remember things. ANYWAYS, my siblings are Emberpaw, Tigerpaw, and Silverpaw.
Nice name! You are left alone with your siblings (If you have any). What do you do? (Ex: Run away into forest, stay...ect.)
Try to play on my own, OR join another sibling and play wrestle or something.
It's your apprentice ceremony! Who is your mentor?
My mentor . . .hmmm . . . how about Silverpaw? I am not feeling very inventive--COME ON BRAIN.
Great! What is your favorite kind of training? (Ex: Tree climbing, battle training...ect.)
Battle training! ;D
Oh no! Shadowclan is attacking! What do you do?
I go scout their position in secret, avoiding the leader's orders, and find out that they're leading a secret contingent about to attack the nursery.
Shadowclan has been defeated! Because of your bravery, you get to go to the Gathering tommorow at Moonhigh!

At the gathering, you see a cute cat from a different clan. S/He's from Riverclan and is an apprentice too. What do you do and what is her/his name?
Cute? As in, *attractive*? Well, I just wow him with me heroic story and that's that. He's enamored. *snickers* Nah, I'd probably just sit there and flop over from tiredness looking totally out of it and weird. :P
What a fun gathering! Now it's time for your warrior ceremony! What is your new name?
I. Can't. Remember. Sheesh, I know the leader's called "star" and that there're ranks by name, but on a lark because I can't remember I guess I'll call myself Snowtail. For a random name.
You meet a really nice cat in your clan that likes you. What is her/his name? Do you like her/him or that Riverclan cat?
It would depend on how the Riverclan cat responds. If he acts like a completely jealous freak and starts being all too defensive of me, it's off to my own clan I go!
You now have three kits! What are their names?
Guess something worked out after all, huh?
o Starpaw
o Sunpaw
o Riverpaw

That was fun!

If you happen to remember the Warriors series and want to broadcast they're clan alliances, go for it! :)

09 June, 2010

And I tag:
Anyone who wants to do it. Don't bother asking; besides, it's better to ask forgiveness than permission, although you already have my permission. :)
Icewolf, I'd tag you, but I don't know where you are! Evil Anonymous, give our good friend back! *soars in sky distressed*

Now, with the tag:

Be extremely beautiful or extremely intelligent?
Intelligent! I'd rather be ugly and smart, because then I'd find some intelligent way to get around the ugliness. :)

Go without brushing your teeth for a year or go without washing your hair for a year?
Um, neither? I like to keep clean, you know.
Be rich or famous?
Famous! Famous people have power, and I could utilize that power to help the world.

Have an amazing shoe collection or an amazing makeup collection?
Neither. I'm not crazy about shoes or makeup (I don't even wear makeup) but a few lovely rocks would be appreciated instead. I collect them. :)

Be able to sing or be able to dance?
Dance!
Be stranded on a Desert Island or in the Desert?
Um, if it's a Desert Island, isn't it going to be like a desert only surrounded by saltwater instead? I guess the desert, since if it's close enough to the edge of the desert, things might work themselves out.

Have a computer or a TV?
Computer! You can watch PBS online and bunch of other things, and you can go online, use search engines, and blog with a computer. And I use the PC to write all the time. (Although, apparently Google is trying to change that mentality.)

Wear spots or stripes for the rest of your life?
Stripes. I don't really like spots . . .

Drink out of a Teacup or a Mug?
Mug. Teacups are too delicate, and I associate them with tea, not water/juice/soup or whatever other stuff you put in a mug.

Receive a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolate?
Bunch of flowers! I love flowers and do NOT like the brown stuff. >.<

Have a hug or a kiss from someone you love?
From who? That would probably change over time, you know.

Wear Converse or Stilettos?
Converse, please. I like practical shoes; stilettoes are not practical. *stagger*jolt*slam*faceplant*

Meet Johnny Depp or Robert Pattinson?
I've never seen Johnny Depp act, but I REALLY don't like Pattinson. What's the draw with him? I don't like his voice, either.

Be a Fairy or a Mermaid?
Agh, either I can't go on land or I have to be a flying, sparkly thing? Maybe a mermaid; the oceans are awesome!

A coffee or a cup of tea?
Neither. Water is better! I hate the smell of coffee anyways.

08 June, 2010

I realized a few days ago that the link was to My Banner Maker, instead of this blog. So, if it isn't too much trouble, could you guys with my button change the old code to the new one on my sidebar? If you do, many thanks! :)

I love this series! Unfortunately, I have NOT been able to get my hands on a copy of Fang (*sigh*) but I've read the previous five novels. I'm re-reading MR, partly because I wanted to refresh my memory on the plot and partly because it's a good read. And I need a good read! I live in a book desert . . . y'know, like a food desert? Anyways, I'll probably write a review once I've finished re-reading it so you guys can have a more organized opinion.

*****

Ah, yes! I have another blog to lobby for. Guinevere @ Pennies From Heaven needs 36 followers by this Friday! Go check out her blog and comment to say that you are following because of me! And don't forget Bleah Briann @ ~With Love and Kisses~, too. There must be some kind of follower bug going around; everyone is getting closer to landmarks whether they're 100, 90, 40, etc.

By now you have probably heard that I'm dead. This means I won't be attending this year's regional science fair, which is a great disappointment to me as I'm sure it also is for oyu. At the time I died, I felt I was starting to make read progress with those earthworms.
I really enjoyed your class and continue to follow along from the place where I'm now living I now find myself. Dissecting the pig looked pretty interesting, and I thought I might try it. Unfortunately, there aren't any dead pigs here for me to dissect.
I was disappointed not to see you at the funeral as you were my favorite teacher, even including middle and elementary school. Not to give you a hard time or anything, Dr. F.
Yours,

Elizabeth Marie Hall, 5th Period Biology

How can fifteen-year-old Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is ist possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

The good: The narrative was orginal, the plot was very different from what you normally see, and the setting was intriguing. The characters had their quirks and attitudes, which put in more depth to the story. I enjoyed reading about living life backwards, and the "getting younger as you live longer" idea, which I'd never read about before. Some parts were amusing, and others sad. Some were a bit startling, and others were just strange, but in a pretty good way. I loved the dog part of it. :)

The bad: Even though it was interesting, Elsewhere is a very strange place. The whole Owen thing was also a little strange, but I suppose it worked out alright in the end.

*Note: It's not really serious, but there is a dead heroin OD-ing singer who is a bit strange. And there is one case where one of the characters half-says a bad word, but if you don't know the rest of it, it's not too bad.*

Do I recommend this book? I'm kind of indifferent. There were parts I liked, and parts I didn't like, but I suppose I would suggest it if it's one of the few interesting-looking books at the library. (which is what happened in my case.)

Another note: Don't forget to follow ~With Love and Kisses~ and get awarded for it! See post for June 5th to get the rest of the story.

2. Do you eat ice cream in a cone, cup, or out of the tub?
Cup, please. I'm not the biggest fan of cones.
3. Make up an animal/monster out of ice cream! What is it called and what does it look like?
It's called the Ice Flyer. It's like a giant eagle, but with four wings, and it's white.
4. Does ice cream give you a brain-freeze?
Only if I really shove it in. :P

5. What is the largest amount of ice cream you have ever eaten?
A medium at the Bronx Zoo, I think. It was big. I was small.
6. Popsicles or Ice cream?
Depends on my mood.
7. Ice cream is falling from the sky! What do you do?
Check the source, then determine whether it's good to eat. If it is, EAT.
8. Charry loves ice cream, do you? (He also loves a certain Inny :3)
Ice cream is good! (As long as it isn't too cold outside.)

It's POURING. DRENCHING. RAINING LIKE THE DICKENS. The water's white out there! It's coming down in sheets! It's as dark as night time! It's stormy! It's noisy! There was lightning! And thunder!Everything's a brilliant emerald green!

Thankfully, we still have electricity. :P

Since the weather's been warm, I suppose this is the break in the hotter temperatures. But really, does it have to drown the town in rain? (Hey, that rhymed. LOL.) I guess that if I go for a walk I'm going to get wet. Which I don't mind; getting wet in the rain is a nice way to get wet. I especially love running in the rain. :)

*****

Have you heard about the Mars 500 project? Astronauts are locked up in a chamber for 520, starting on last Thursday. 520 days of the same people, the same space, and there isn't even actual space to look at. *shudders* I'm not going to be an astronaut, I don't think. Too cramped. It would drive me up a wall, and in real space, there's isn't a backup man waiting to take my place.

*****

REMEMBER: check out http://blonde4christ.blogspot.com/ and follow! See previous post for more information about the awards you'll receive or just go to the blog itself. I am seriously trying to lobby you guys into doing it.

Apparently, control has been snatched from me and it's now up to YOU AWESOME PEOPLE to make the difference. Bleah Briann (I've posted about her blog before) needs 100 FOLLOWERS by JUNE 21ST. So she's asking her followers (and I'm in there) to GET HER THOSE FOLLOWERS. This means YOU. Follow her blog ~With Love and Kisses~ and COMMENT with the mention that I'm the one who led you to her blog. As an INCENTIVE she's offering AWARDS TO ALL WHO FOLLOW HER. And me, if I can manage to scrape up the most new ones. Hey, we can't all be totally selfless . . . lol jk. This has to be done by JUNE 21ST as mentioned above, so go follow and mention me!

1.) Is swimming a fun thing to do for you?
Er, I don't know how to swim. Yeah, yeah, I need to learn . . .

2.) Cherry pie...or apple pie?
Mmmmm thinking. . . apple.

3.) Does ranch taste good on anything?
I don't believe I've ever had ranch dressing. (It is about dressing, right?)

4.) Best trait: sarcasm, easy-going, energetic, or moody?
All of the above. ;)

5.) Tell me one thing that makes you extremely happy.
Running!

6.) Don't fireflies make you want to smile and laugh? I mean, they're so...amusing, right?
Totally. Blinking away like they don't have a care in the world. :)

7.) Egg rolls, or sweet and sour chicken?
I prefer sesame chicked over sweet and sour, so egg rolls. (Spring rolls are good too.)
8.) Does Inora amuse you?
Hehe. Of course. :)

10.) I say 1...you say...
Topkapi Palace! (I just love that word. All the P's and the K.)

I highly suggest you check out this blog. Icewolf is a very good writer, her stories are interesting and exciting, and Inora (as mentioned above) is amusing. Very. (He's so . . . sanctimonious.) And the gadgets on the sidebar are worthy of an LOL and *grins*. There is also that handy little gadget called the Followers button . . .

Can you believe I've been doing this for 9 weeks running? Once I started counting, it seems like ages ago that I started when I feel like it was last week . . . anyways, there are always more to follow! :P

04 June, 2010

I wrote *drumroll* 3116 words yesterday! I have now written 5021 words this month in four days! This'll probably come back to haunt me in the form of constant blockages from writing later this month, but so far I'm getting closer to the final goal. I've gotten more ideas with all this writing too, so the writing acts as a stimulus for the ideas, and the ideas make a stimulus for the writing. It's a lovely circle. :)

02 June, 2010

I was thinking about moving the awards and some of the other stuff on the blog to a page next to the "About This Blog" page; what do you think? I think it's getting a little crammed and busy on the sidebars, but do you guys like that? Or do you think there should be more busy-ness?

Writing, writing, writing . . . I did 1905 words yesterday according the Word! I {heart} you Word! Gates! Microsoft! Really, those programs are so helpful and handy . . . but anyways, I'm not even done writing for today and I've done over 1400! Deadlines just get me going, I suppose. I've never really had one for my story before.

1. Who would make a better collage prof, 6 or 11?
Ping, I suppose. She's more studious than Sammy is.

2. Do you think #2 is nice?
Artemis Fowl nice? In the last book he's decent, but certainly not in the beginning. *shudders*

3. 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
Ying and Dodge?! Okay then, Ying sends out Dodge to spy on the Emperor, and being the captain of the guard back in his own world, of course Dodge succeeds. (But really; the two do not really mix all that well.)

4. What is or what would be 9's favorite book?
"How to Wear Black and Look Better Than Your Enemies' Widows"

5. Would it make more sense for 2 to swear fealty to 6, or the other way around?
Other way around! Artemis would never do that, but then again, Sammy might refuse and then they'd be stuck in a locked position due to the other's stubbornness.

6. For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he room with 9 or 10?
Torment with Matt or Jace? Matt, since he's works in a blimp and Torment has to do with a highly elite branch of the Air Force. Then again, Torment might not speak to Matt at all . . .

7. 3, 7 and 12 are going out to dinner. Where do they go and what do they discuss?
Aleksander, Draco Malfoy, and Ying. They go to Chinatown in NYC and discuss how to best defeat their enemies.

8. #3 challenges #10 to a duel, who wins?
#3, probably. Aleksander gets training with a sword, after all.

9. If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, how would (s)he get it back?
By fighting his way through to her. Dodge could also call up his loyal group of castle guards and simply overpower Hok.

10. Suggest a story title in which 7 and 12 both attain what they desire.
"Revenge of the Martyred" or "Defeating All Who Oppose Them."

11. What kind of plot device would you have to use if you wanted 1 and 4 to work together?
They're actually kind of similar. Not all the way, but they'd find a way to jive with the other.

12. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would it go?
I'd stay away from Draco Malfoy!
13. If you could command 3 to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?
I wouldn't order Aleksander around.

14. Does 11 like to write or draw?
Yes! Ping loves learning.

15. If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, what side would (s)he choose?
Artemis Fowl vs. Torment and Esperanza. I'd like to see that. :P Anyway, at the beginning, AF would probably choose Torment, but in the end, he would probably go with Esperanza.

16. What might 10 shout out while charging into battle?
"To Starboard!"

17. If you had to choose a song to best describe 8, what would it be?
I don't know many song titles . . .

18. What would be a good pickup line for 2 to say to 10?
"Oh, really. And I suppose your girlfriend thinks so."

19. What would 5 most likely be arrested for?
Torment arrested. Now there's an idea . . . Probably for shooting someone. Not without reason, of course, but a shooting nevertheless.

20. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
Jace! Unless Ping had the dragon with her . . .

21. What is the lowest point of 1's story?
When Hok hobbles along the river with her arm broken and her face bruised after Tsung beat her up.

22. 1 and 9 reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's sinister secret organization. 11 volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4. Meanwhile, 4 has kidnapped 12 in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5, they seek out 3, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?
"The Melee of Plots That Result in One Big Catastrphe."